Detachable harness-support.



' 'PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908.

0. M. GARLETON.

DETAGHABLE HARNESS SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED APB..16, 1906.

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portion and cause the same UNITED STATES PATEN T CFFTQE OSCAR M. CARLETON, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALBERT HOBART, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

DETACHAB LE HARNESS-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 9, 1908.

Application filed April 16, 1906. Serial No. 311,927.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR M. CARLEToN, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Somerville, in the county of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Detachable Harness-Supports, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to that class of harness supporters wherein the harness is supported in a position convenient for the horse to come in beneath the same, and after the harness has been fastenedin place, the supporter can be automatically disconnected from all parts of the harness simultaneously.

Referring to the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a harness supporter made in accordance with my invention. Figure 2 is a detail sectional view, nearly full size, of a part of the detaching devices. Fig. 3 is a sectional view, nearly full size, of another part of the detaching devices. 4

The main portion of the device consists of the tube 1 which is suspended by a suitable rope or cord 2 wound upon the winding drum of the type set forth in my companion application Serial No. 265,008. At one end of the tubular back-bone 1 is a hook 5 pivoted at 6 between the forks 7 rigid with said tube; said hook being formed with an extension 8 of sufficient weight to counterbalance the hookto normally assume a horizontal position. In the extremity of this extension is a notch 9 for the reception of the nose 10 of the long rod 11 longitudinally movable in the tube 1; by means of which said hook is normally locked in the position shown in Fig. 1. To retain this looking rod 11 in engagement with said hook, a notch or slot 12 is formed therein, disposed to be entered by the latch 13 which is pressed upward by the spring 16. Said spring is held by the pin or screw 17 penetrating the two cars 18 which project from the tubular casting 20 tapped upon the end of the tube 1. In opposite directions from said latch 13 extend the curved arms 14, 15 the outer extremities of which normally rest between the two pairs of lugs 19. Upon one of these arms is placed a ring 25 holding a strap 26; the, arm 15 being shown in the drawings as thus used. By pulling upon said strap in a direction away from the latch 13, the ring is drawn away from said arm, at the same time causing the latter to move out from between the lugs 19 sufliciently to permit the rings escape. The other arm 14 being terminally fulcrumed between its lugs 19, this descent of the arm 15 will be just enough to withdraw the latch 13 from its engagement with the notch or slot 12; thereby .temporarily unlocking the rod 11.

The object in having the two arms 14, 15 is to enable the device to be unlocked in either of the two directions,from the head of the horse, or from the carriage behind him. That illustrated, enables the device to be detached when the attendant is to lead the horse away, and so can pull the strap 26 toward the horses head.

At the op osite end of the tube 1 is a casting 30 rigid ly secured thereto, and formed with bearingears 31 penetrated by the rod 35, and receiving between them the pinion 37 shown in Fig. 2. This pinion may be only partially toothed as shown, as it is not designed for more than, a third or quarter turn; but meshes with corresponding teeth 38 formed along the extremity of the rod 11. From said pinion and also from the ends of the rod 35 project hooks 36 designed to act in conjunction with the hook 5 for the support of the harness. I do not necessarily use all three of the hooks 36, as in some cases I omit the one projecting from the pinion 37 and in other cases, I cut away the rod 35 close beside the bearing-ears 31, using the central hook alone.

Whichever hook or hooks are used, the action is identical: The weight of the harness portions hanging from the hooks 36 acts to depress said hooks, and, through the pinion 37, to withdraw the rod 11 from its engagement with the notch 9. Hence, the moment the strap 26 causes the latch 13 to release said rod, the latter moves away from the hook 5, and every one of the hooks drop the harness simultaneously. It is therefore evident that there can be no partial release of a harness from this supporter, inasmuch as the hooks 36 cannot let go without the strap depending the rod 11 and tube 1; the arrangement thereof being identical with the showing in Fig. 2.

To prevent the tube 1 from bending under the strains of its supporting rope 2 at its intermediate point, and of the harness at its extremities, I provide it with an upwardly rising strut 3 and a truss-wire 22 anchored terminally in the lugs 21, 32 of the castings 20 and 80 respectively; and. have said rope secured to this strut.

The casting 30 being cored for the sake of economy, instead of being drilled, a set screw 33 is provided for pressing down upon the rod 11 opposite to the pinion 37 just enough to insure the perfect mesh between the teeth of the two parts.

The device is made to hang evenly by means of the weight 4 slidable along the tube 1 and provided with a suitable set screw for fastening it at the proper point to make sure of equilibrium.

The hook-extension 8 being heavier than the hook 5, immediately swings down into the slot between the forks 7 soon as said hook is released by the harness; and, as the hooks 36 are left in a depressed condition by the harness, the nose 10 is back out of the way of said extension. Consequently, all that the attendant has to do in order to put the device into condition for again supporting a harness, is, to swing one of the hooks 36 up into the position shown. This forces the locking nose 10 into engagement with the hook 5, and also permits the latch 13 to enter the notch 12 and secure all the parts ready for business.

What I claim as my invention and for which I desire Letters Patent is as follows, to Wit,

1. The combination in a harness support, of a supporting frame, pivotedhooks at the ends thereof, a latch, connections between said hooks and latch whereby the latter holds all the former from releasing, an arm connected with said latch and normally contacting at an acute angle at its free end with said frame, a ring penetrated by said arm, and means for pulling upon said ring, whereby the withdrawal of said ring from said arm disengages said latch from said connections and permits the hooks to drop the object which they may be supporting.

2. The combination in a harness support, of a supporting frame, pivoted hooks at the ends thereof, a latch, connections between said hooks and latch whereby the latter holds all the former from releasing, oblique arms rigid with said latch, projections from said frame between which the ends of said arms normally rest, resilient means holding said latch and arms in such normal position, a ring penetrated by one of said arms, and a from said ring whereby a 4. The combination with a tube suitably supported, of a hook pivoted at one end thereof and having a locking-notch, a rod movable in said tube and adapted for engagement with said notch, a latch normally holding said rod from movement, a pinion, one or more hooks rigid therewith, and bearings for said pinion; said rod being formed with rack teeth meshing with said pinion.

5. The combination with a tube suitably supported, of a hook pivoted at one end thereof and having a locking notch, a rod movable in said tube and adapted for engagement with said notch, a latch normally holding said rod from movement, a casting fixed to the opposite end of said'tube, a rockshaft having bearings in said casting, hooks supported by said shaft, and a pinion fixed upon said rock-shaft; said rod being formed with rack-teeth meshing with said pinion.

6. The combination with a tubular body having a hook pivoted in one end, the tail of said hook having a terminal'notch, of a rod longitudinally movable in said tubular body and disposed for engagement. with said notch and being itself formed with an opening, a double-armed latch resiliently pressed into said opening, a pair of lugs projecting from said tubular body beside the outer extremity of each said arms, and a ring on one of said arms; whereby when said ring is pulled off from the arm supporting it, said latch is caused to release said rod.

7. The combination of a suitable supporting frame, pivoted hooks at separated parts thereof, a locking means for holding said hooks in a substantially horizontal position, and means, acting when certain of said hooks are depressed, to. unlock the remaining one thereof; the last-named hook being formed with an over-balancing tail or rear extension having a notch in the end thereof, and said locking means including a longitudinally movable rod engaging said notch.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing invention, I have hereunto set my hand this 13th day of April, 1906.

OSCAR M. OARLETON.

Witnesses:

ALBERT ROBART, A. B. UPHAM. 

